Lock for milk-cans



(No Model.)

J. D. CAEL. LOOK FOR MILK CANS.

No. 416,049. Patented Nov. 26, 1889.

UNITED STATES PA'TENT OFFICE. if

JOSEPH l). UAEL, 0F \VILMINGTON, DELATVARE.

LOOK FOR MILK-CANS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 416,049, dated November26, 18189. Application filed August 13, 1889. $erial No. 320,565. (Nomodel.)

lb all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH D. UAEl, of \Vilmington, in the county of NewCastle and State of Delaware, have invented certain new and usefulImprovement in Looks for Milk-Vessels; and 1 do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings,and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of thisspecification. My invention relates to certain devices for removablylocking milk-cans or other vessels to the outside of buildings.

The object of the invention is to provide means whereby a milk or othercan or vessel can be securely locked to the outside of the dwelling bythe milkman, and which cannot be removed by any one from the outside ofthe building untila door or window is opened, so that a key can beoperated to release the can or vessel by a person belonging to thehouse; and a further object is to provide the lock with a device whichcan be operated by a person at any convenient time to instruct orindicate to the milkman how much milk or cream to leave when he makeshis trip, whereby it is not necessary to disturb the inmates of thehouses in the early morning, when milk is usually delivered. Theseobjects are accomplished by and my invention consists in certain novelfeatures of construction and in combinations of parts more fullydescribed hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of theexterior of a portion of a door-frame, showing the lock and a can orvessel supported thereby and locked to the door-post. Fig. 2 is a detailfront view of the device 011 the door-frame, showing the can and thetongue by which it is held. Fig. 3 is a top plan of the look without thecan. Fig. 4 is a section of the lock on the line at 420, Fig. 2, showingin section the can held in position and suspended from the lock. Fig. 5is a section taken in the plane y y, Fig. 2. Figs. 6 and 7 are details.Figs. 8 and 9 are views of modifications.

In the drawings, the reference-letter to illdicates the side of adoor-frame, and b indicates a milk-can or other vessel. A look 1ssecured to the exterior of the door-frame at a suitable height, and thislook consists of a strong rigid inclosing-case 0, right angled in shapeand rigidly secured to the frame, so

that a portion of the case will rest on the outer face of the frame andthe other arm or portion a on the inner face of the frame. The outeredge of the inner arm is provided with a strongly constructed verticalundercut or dovetailed way or locking-slot cl, open atboth ends.Longitudinally-movable locking pin or latch 6 extends through theportiona of the case, with its outer locking end normally and yieldinglyheld, extendingthrough an opening in the rear wall of said Way into thesame, by means of the spring f, embracing said pin. The upper side ofthe outer end of the pin is beveled outwardly, as shown. The interior ofthe case is of course provided with suitable guides to guide and holdthe latch-pin in its movements. A key or rod 9 is loosely connected withthe latch-pin and extends rearwardly toward the door, so that when thedoor is closed the end of said rod will bear against the same andthereby prevent the rod from being drawn back to Withdraw the latch-pinfrom the way. This rod 9 has a bent end extending into a short groove inthelatch-pin, so that the pin can be pushed back independent of the roda sufficient distance to withdraw its locking end from the groove.

The milk-can or other vessel 1) has avertical block h rigidly secured tothe side thereof, and this block is provided with a vertical dovetailedtongue 70, to snugly fit and yet easily slide into or out of the way orgroove in the lock. The lower end of the tongue is beveled upwardly, andwithin its length the tongue is provided with a notch or recess 1,having a straight shoulder at its lower edge, and the upper end of thetongue is provided with an outwardly-projecting ledge or shoulderj. (SeeFig. 6.) Thus it will be readily seen that when the milkman arrives inthe early morning all he does is to fill the can and insert the lowerbeveled end of the supporting-tongue k in the upper open end of thelocking slot or way of the lock, force the same down, and the lowerbeveled ICO end of the tongue will engage the outer beveled end of thelatch and push the same out of the groove and allow the tongue to vslideinto the same until the ledge j rests on the top edge of thelock-casing, and thereby sup ports the can, while the latch-pin underthe influence of its spring will fly into the recess "5 when thesupporting-tongue has passed down a certain distance, and therebyprevent the tongue from being Withdrawn from the groove until the dooris opened, so that the latch-pin can be drawn back by the key orreleasing-rod.

The portion of the lock-casing on the outer face of the door-frame isprovided with a pair of slides Z I, located beneath the outer wall ofthe casing, and provided with knobs or projections extending throughslots in the casing and by which the slides are moved. Each of theseslides is provided with a scalesuch as one qt, one pt., &c.and thecasing is provided with openings, as shown, over each scale-plate justlarge enough to exhibit one character on each plate. One scale isintended to indicate the amount of cream desired and the other theamount of milk, and they can be set the night before, so as to be readyfor the milkman in themorning. The plates can be provided withfriction-springs to hold the same in adjustment. (See Fig. 5.)

In Fig. 7 the latch-pin is shown provided with a rigid extensionintended for use without bearing against a door. For in stance, theextension might extend through the framing into the interior of thehouse.

The construction shown in Fig. 8 can be secured to a door as well as tothe door-frame. This is advantageous, as ,many door-frames are beveledor rounded on the edge, so that the angular lock-frame cannot be used,while the construction of Fig. 8 can be used on either side of adoor-frame or on right or left hand doors by simply reversing it.

The block h of Fig. 9 is reversible by having two notches it, either oneof which can be engaged by the locking-pin e.

The great advantages of such a device as the present invention areobvious. The

milk-cans and their contents cannot be stolen or removed when left atthe doors of dwellings.

It is evident that various changes might be made in the form andarrangements of the parts described without departing from the spiritand scope of my invention; henceI do struction herein set forth.

hat I claim is 1. A milk can or vessel having a tongue or projectinglock rigidly secured thereto, in combination with a casing secured tothe exterior of a door-frame, having an open locking-slot to receivesaid tongue and a spring-- latch in said casing to automatically lockthe tongue in said slot, provided with means whereby the latch can beoperated to release the tongue, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a lock secured to the exterior of a building,of a can or vessel provided with a tongue to enter said lock, wherebythe can is locked to and supported by said lock, substantially asdescribed.

3. The combination, with a casing secured to the exterior of a buildingand having a loekingslot and-a spring-latch normally extending into saidslot and provided with a releasing rod or key, of a can or vesselprovided with a supporting-tongue adapted to fit and be locked in saidslot by the latch, substantially as described.

l. The combination, with a casing secured to the exterior of a buildingand having a locking-slot, a spring-latch normally extending into saidslot, said casing being provided with an indicating device to indicatethe quantity of milk or cream desired, of a can or vessel provided witha tongue to fit and be locked in said slot by the latch, substantiallyas described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I afiix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH D. CAEL.

itnesses:

THEODORE l\IUNGEN, CHARLES M. WERLE.

not Wish to limit myself to the precise con-

